Indian Airspace Closure Delays Flights to Sri Lanka

Several flights scheduled to depart and arrive at Sri Lanka's Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) were delayed due to the temporary closure of certain parts of Indian airspace, an airport official said here on Monday.

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(Image: Reuters)

Colombo: Several flights scheduled to depart and arrive at Sri Lanka's Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) were delayed due to the temporary closure of certain parts of Indian airspace, an airport official said here on Monday.

The Indian Air Traffic control informed the Sri Lankan officials that its airspace would be closed from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. due to "launch of an experimental flight in India", Xinhua news agency reported.

India is set to test-launch its indigenously-developed surface-to-surface Agni V missile.

Sri Lankan Airlines confirmed that five of its flights were delayed, including those departing to Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

Several other international airlines arriving and departing at the BIA were also delayed.